Leap Day Look Back

As I was playing blocks with this little fella this morning, I got to thinking about how times have changed since the last Leap Day. 

On February 29, 2012, I had not yet met The Boy from Texas.  We hadn't had our first date, a diamond ring was nowhere in sight and I was not real sure kids were for me.  

{The night we met...August 2012}

I didn't work for TAMU.  In fact,I didn't even know this job--my dream job--existed. I had not loaded up my vehicle twice and moved across the Lone Star state  and back.

I had only run 1 half marathon. Did not have an iPhone. Never heard of Instagram. Had not discovered my love of Adoration.  I still drove a little red car and loved in a single lady's condo.

{Half #3}

I am so grateful for what God has blessed me with in the last 4 years. He answered prayers I did not even know to pray. I can't wait to see what surprises the next four years hold.

52 Week Photo Project {7}

His Valentine's Day Outfit!

52 Week Photo Project {8}

Truth from the Trenches: Baby Must Haves

Previously, I posted a list of the Top 10 Items for Newborns.  Today, I'll share my Top 10 Items for Babies.  We've found these very useful for BB in the 2-5 month age range.

1. Jumper.
I have Blonde Oklahoma Girl to thank for telling me about this God-send of a contraption.  She said we had to have one and although it was expensive, Santa got it for Christmas.  Y'all. Worth. Every. Single. Penny. I would have paid double. This thing has changed our life. BB jumps like a crazy fool for hours. And how that he is a bit older, he loves to play with the toys. You need this in your life. Ours is Fisher Price. BOKG has the BabyEinstein  version.

2. Favorite toy.

Your kid needs a go-to favorite toy that will always make him smile. For us, that's the stacking ring monkey. Even in to middle of a fit if you turn this thing on and stick it in his face, he smiles. Whatever you will do this for your kid is a keeper!

3. Teethers.
BB chews on everything. EVERYTHING. We have lots of different teethers. His favorite is probably a John Deere one that looks like an ear of corn that vibrates.  We also have several of the ones you can put in the fridge or freezer, which he likes just ok. (PSA...don't put those in the steamer. Learned that one the hard way.) Lastly, he has some little chewing balls on a bracelet that he seems to like fairly well. (You can see that in the photo of the play mat.)

4. Play mat.

We like these so much we have two. These are great because they are easy to move around the house and haul places, plus they can really keep kids entertained. I think for our next baby I might get a play mat that has a piano at the foot where they can kick and it makes noise. BOKG and College Roomie both have them and their kids love those things.

5.  Bumbo.

This is where BB eats every meal. It's easy to move around, takes up no room, and you can wipe it down when a meal is done and it's covered in squash and oatmeal. 

6. Big bottles.
You start out feeding your kiddos out of the 4 or 5 oz bottles. About 4 or 5 months you need to go to the 8 oz bottles. Go ahead and stock up. We have a set at the baby sitters and 6 more at home. 

7. Pack and play with bassinet & changing table.

We love our pack and play. It's in our room and makes everything so handy. The changing table is easy to wipe down,  BB sleeps well in the basinette, and you can store things underneath those two attachments. Plus eventually when he is mobile we will need the thing for containment anyway.

8. Carseat toy.

BB is in the car a lot and this little horse we call Clop Clop is a life saver!  He provides lots of entertainment. 

9. Baby dishes and utensils.
Someone gave us a set of baby feeding stuff as a shower gift and I am so glad they did even though I was too dumb to register for it! You might as well get that kind of thing now and be ready when it's time. 

10. Diaper stash.

Say hello to my diaper closet.  Before BB was born, my work and several others bought is big boxes of diapers. So great! But as I started to see the supply dwindling, I decided to start building up a supply slowly instead of spending a ton of money all at once.  I did some math and have figured out that for size NB to 3, if you can find them on sale for about $.20/diaper, buy them because it is a good deal. For bigger sizes price goes up a little, I get them if around .22-.24.  So if I find a good deal, I buy them. When I think I have enough of one size, I go to the next. Watch at Target where they frequently do gift cards if you buy in bulk and sometimes do BOGO on diapers. Also clip coupons! Babies R Us often has an $8 off coupon every month and Target sends out periodic $10 off coupons. 

The Justices and the Elephant

When Justice Scalia died this week, some of my Facebook friends made terrible comments. Words celebrating the death of another human because his politics and legal opinions were different than their own.

And then, I saw a picture of Justice Scalia and Justice Ginsberg together on the back of an elephant.  (You can see that here.)  I read an article where she called him her best buddy.  (Read that here.)  And if you know much about the US Supreme Court you know these two could not be more opposite. They rarely agreed in difficult cases. I bet they never voted for the same presidential candidate. And still, they were best friends.  They had dinners together, saw the opera together, and took family vacations with each other.  They were able to put politics aside and see the person. And that's beautiful. 

I have friends who are quite different than me.  Uber liberals. Super conservatives. Catholics and Jews and agnostics.  Some have no credit cards and others are in debt up to their eyeballs. They drive one ton pick ups, a Ford Prius, and some don't have a car at all.  They graduated from Stanford, from community college, welding school, and some barely made it though high school.  

And although they are not all like me, our backgrounds, our ideals, our goals....they are good friends. My life is better for knowing them. And I don't care if we never agree on a political issue, or if I never agree with someoene's judicial decision, they are a person and that is enough reason for me to respect them and mourn their passing. 

In my opinion, this is the biggest problem in our country today. We cannot put our politics aside and see the people. We cannot respect someone with different views. And because of this, we are missing the point. We are causing hatred and divisiveness. We are missing the chance to know great people.  

So whether someone's yard has a Hilary sign, a Cruz sign, or even (Heaven help us!) a Trump sign, we can respect them.  We can be kind to them.  We can mourn their deaths.  Heck, we can even befriend them.

Be like those two Justices on the back of the elephant.  That's that this world needs!

Monthly Family Photo: February 2016

Monthly Family Photo: January 2016

After quickly giving up on a weekly family photo project, College Roomie suggested I could do a monthly family photo.  She's a smart one, that best friend of mine!  So here goes the first ever Monthly Family Photo.

52 Week Project {6}

Lessons from a Cabbie

I always enjoy talking to my cab driver.  I always have.  Sometimes, you get one that's sort of grouchy and doesn't really want anything to do with you.  But other times, you get one with a great story.  That's exactly what happened to me recently in San Antonio.

I hopped in a cab with a driver to asked what I was in town for and how long I'd be there.  In our conversation, I learned that he had come to the US from Africa. Ethiopia, to be specific.  This got us started on how difficult it is to come to America from another country.

He told me that he had some three years ago as a refugee.  After complete political upheaval in his own country--after living in a tent in a refugee camp for five years (FIVE YEARS), he began the refugee paperwork and was given a ticket to America.  He had no say about where he went, the government settled him in Pennsylvania.  He knew no one, but he was out of the refugee camp and happy to be in America.

He saved enough money to move to San Antonio, where he had other refugee friends, and now works two jobs to support himself.  He loves it here, says America is a great country, and he is happy to be here.

We talked about family and raising babies in Africa and he politely looked at a photo of BB, proclaiming he was a very happy baby who looks like his mama.  And when he dropped me at my hotel, I gave him a large tip and a hug.  In that 15 minute cab ride, I learned a couple of things.

First, we take living in America for granted.  During our chat, he told me that when refugees first arrive in the States, they are very grateful and appreciative for everything.  But after a year or two, you start to see them complain.  Traffic, bills, annoying people.  We all complain about these kind of things, yet we forget that across the world, there are people living in tents, fleeing from unimaginable violence, wondering if and when their next meal will come.  Sure, this country of ours has problems.  Violence. Pollution.  Political division. But we have a lot of good as well.  Freedom.  Rights.  Ability to chase our dreams.  I'm vowing to really focus on what is good, on what is right, and on how blessed I am to live and be raising our child in the greatest country on earth.

Second, the driver said, "Oh, I came here as a refugee.  You know, America always helps refugees who are in trouble."  I couldn't help but cringe.  Yes, over the years America has always helped refugees.  "Give us your tired, your poor, your huddles masses yearning to breathe free."  But I can't help but think how some have reacted to the Syrian refugee crisis recently.  We espouse hatred.  We want to lock the doors.  We want to turn a blind eye and pretend the situation is not happening, or that we are somehow allowed to ignore whatever happens "over there."  As I've written before, we have failed to remember the real issue here is people, not policies.

I understand there are not easy answers.  I know that we must keep our nation safe.  I am sure there are hidden terrorists in the refugee population.  But I also fully believe there are good people--families, mothers, babies, Christians--in those refugee camps.  Certainly I believe they need to be vetted.  We need to ensure that we do not allow terrorists to infiltrate through our refugee population.  And I know we have no legal obligation to take these people into our midst.  But I sincerely hope we do not lose the reputation of being a country that always helps refugees in trouble.

And, so, today, I am grateful for the lessons from a cabbie.  I am thankful for the reminder that we are blessed to live in the United States.  That we are fortunate, despite this nation's problems, to live here and now.  I am grateful for the reminder that refugees are real people--ones who need our help and our prayers.  I am thankful for the chance to visit for a couple of minutes with a cab driver in San Antonio, who did much more for me than get me safely from the airport to the hotel.

Home Decor Tour (Part 2)

If you missed the start of the tour, click here.

Today, let's continue on by walking into the new portion of the house.

The living room comes first.

We got this new couch and chair right after BB was born and they were an excellent purchase!  We also collect the cow paintings on the wall and look forward to adding to our collection.

You will note that a lot of our decor is wedding related---either gifts we got from our wedding (see the clock and both frames on the table here) or are signs from our wedding decorations (see grateful heart sign on the wall).

Above you see a block of wood.  That is a piece of the actual covered wagon my great grandparents used to travel to New Mexico.

These lamps.  We got them as a wedding gift and BB absolutely loves them.  He will stare at them for hours.  Good purchase for sure!

Next to the living room, we have the laundry room. When we moved into the house, the laundry room was in the detached garage. I cannot tell you how much I love having this inside especially with a baby and all the laundry he creates! 

And just off of the living room is our master bedroom. I think it's my favorite room in the house. I love all the windows and light and after being in the tiny guest room when we moved in, this room feels huge! 

I bought this kneeler a couple of years ago after seeing St. John Paul II's kneeler at a museum in Krakow.

The Boy from Texas has his desk set up in the bedroom.  He decorated with this horse pencil drawing that I really love.

Next up, master bath.

Above you see the shower.  People who come to visit literally ooh and ahh about this shower.

And last, but not least, the walk in closet.  It's fantastic.

You'll see the gun safe we got as a wedding gift from my aunts and uncles that fits nicely in the closet.

You'll see on my side the old, beaten up turquoise chair that my Gran always had in her room.

Home Decor Tour (Part 1)

Remember when I promised you a tour of the house decor after we finished all the renovations and addition? Well 6 months later, here we go. 

When you walk in, the dining room is your first stop. 

The furniture came from my great aunt in Tennessee. I think it fits perfectly.  The China cabinet holds much of the Nambe and other silver gifts we got for our wedding.

My Gran's piano is one of my favorite pieces. You'll see her picture framed next to the What a Wonderful World sign.  My parents' neighbor, Linda, painted the photo and garden box. 

I really love our mantle. The wedding day photo, a Nambe plaque with the words from our wedding invitations from two of my sweet friends, and the Unity Cross the Boy from Texas made for the ceremony.

Here is one of the built in book shelves. Note a mixture of books, pictures, wedding cake stands, and a horse!

There is also my office set up in one part of the dining room. My ode to the alma mater.

Next up you walk into the kitchen.

I love all the storage! One day we are hoping to add an island and a dishwasher....

To the right off of the kitchen is the guest room.

The bedding was mine from my house in College Station and I love the colors!  The pillows from College Roomie show all the places I have lived and they sit atop my Gran's hope chest. 

The decor includes a quilt rack with some of my favorite quilts and a painting on the wall painted by The Boy from Texas' great grandmother.

If you peeked in the closet, you would see my diaper stash. I buy anytime I see them on sale!

Just off of the kitchen we have the guest bathroom. 

Not much to show in a bathroom. 

And, now, what you have all been waiting to see....the nursery.  We went with a farm animal theme and I really love how it turned out.

 

Over the crib you will see BB's name in letters given to him by my former secretary.  You also see a photo Linda painted of Ty's favorite horse, Dandy and a tiny photo of the Infant of Prague.  Over the crib hangs a sheep mobile and on the top rail is a lamb blanket with his name embroidered. 

Opposite the crib we have the dresser.  This actually used to be mine and it was very 1980's style brown and big gold pulls.  The Boy from Texas re-did this, painting it off white and adding rubbed bronze pulls.  You'll also see BB's gallery wall of some excellent cow and sheep photos and his collection of stuffed animals.

In the corner of the room is a toy box jammed full of toys, upon which several of BB's lambs sit.  On the wall you'll see the shadow box I made out of items from his birth.

In the other corner of the room we have a bookshelf holding books, tractors, bibs, and the John Deere canisters (which hold hats and socks).  You'll also see his rocking horse, sheep play mat, and quilt rack displaying his impressive collection of handmade blankets!

So there you have Part I. Mind you, this was the whole house when we bought it. Tomorrow, we will take a look at the decor in the new half of the house!